Police knew their Karachi office was to be attacked

Crime Investigation Department (CID) personnel had alerted "high-ups" that their office here could be the target of a terror attack, a media report said on Friday, a day after at least 19 people were killed and 110 injured when an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into the police station.

Daily Times reported that the CID staff had told their "high-ups" about a possible attack on the police station a couple of weeks ago.

A CID official said that some culprits arrested a couple of weeks ago had revealed during the course of investigation that an attack was being planned.

The terrorists carried out the attack as planned, the official added.

The blast site was just a few steps away from the house of Sindh province chief minister, five-star hotels, the US consulate and other important buildings. A meeting of Sindh cabinet was underway at the chief minister's house when the terrorists struck.

Police sources said that the attack targeted the CID police station because "a Taliban commander Iqbal Bajori arrested a day before along with six other suspected terrorists was kept there".